Barcelona Hands Record-signing Coutinho Jersey No 14
Barcelona’s 192 million dollars record-signing, Philippe Coutinho may have been handed jersey Number 14 for his duty tour with the Catalonia side.
Coutinho did not put on any numbered shirt during his official presentation by the La Liga giant to about 7,500 fans at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
However, reports emerging from Camp Nou indicate that the Brazilian and former Liverpool of England playmaker, currently nursing a thigh injury, will most likely wear the No 14 shirt recently vacated by another former Liverpool’s defender, Javier Mascherano, who is set to quit Barcelona and move to China.
According to the reports, the shirt was famously worn by late Johan Cruyff as his trademark number during his playing days in Barcelona between 1973 and 1978. Switching between the No 14 and No 9 shirts, Cruyff scored 48 goals in 143 games, winning both La Liga and the Copa del Rey in the process for the current league leaders.
Speaking at his public presentation, Coutinho said he is targeting titles at Barcelona, stressing thus; “I am very happy about the affection from the fans. It is a dream come true and I hope to answer all their expectations on the field.”
A report on Barcelona’s website indicated that the Brazilian was careful juggling the ball, due to an injury on the anterior rectum of his right thigh.
Before leaving the Camp Nou pitch, Coutinho however took part in a rondo with eight young players from FCB Escola, had photographs taken with several fans and was handed the keys to a new Audi car.
The five-year contract endorsed in a ceremony where the Brazilian sat alongside Barca President Josep Maria Bartomeu, makes him the third-most expensive player in history.
After posing in a Barcelona shirt on the Camp Nou pitch, Coutinho said; “It’s an honour for me, a great honour, but also a dream to be here. I have my goals; to get here, to be happy, win titles and have fun – I only think about that.”
However, minutes before sealing the deal after a tumultuous few days, Barcelona hinted that a thigh injury would delay the player’s debut until January ending.
The current La Liga runaway leaders also claimed that Liverpool had cut their original asking price from 200 million euros, after a long-running transfer saga dating back to the summer window.
According to Barcelona’s vice-president, Jordi Mestre; “Due to a contractual issue and due to Liverpool’s desire, we cannot provide the exact figures, but there has been a very significant reduction (in price)”.
Barca’s swoop for Coutinho is outranked only by Paris Saint-Germain’s stunning world record 222 million-euro signing of Neymar from Barcelona last year, and the Paris club’s capture of French striker Kylian Mbappe in a deal worth 180 million euros when the teenager completes his initial loan deal later this year.
Already, football pundits are touting Coutinho’s arrival as the needed verve for the Catalan giants to move on from the obvious pains of losing Neymar. They also see his presence together with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, as capable of relieving the pressure on Barcelona’s aging midfield maestro, 33-year-old Andres Iniesta.
